CarePoint Graduation | Children's HopeChest

What is CarePoint Graduation?

The Future of Community-Led Transformation

At Children’s HopeChest, we believe the most powerful change happens when communities are equipped to lead their own development.

CarePoint Graduation is the pivotal milestone in our model—a moment when a local CarePoint transitions into a locally run Community-Based Organization (CBO), led by trusted leaders who carry forward the vision for their community’s flourishing. This is not the end of a partnership. It’s the beginning of local ownership.

What Graduation Really Means

CarePoint Graduation is about passing the baton—confidently and intentionally.

After years of collaboration, a CarePoint evolves from being supported by HopeChest into a locally led organization, run by a trained Community Leadership Team with the tools, experience, and vision to:

Drive programs forward
Equip families to thrive
Manage day-to-day operations
Generate revenue to support long-term goals

How Communities Are Preparing for Graduation

Launching Business

Creating revenue-generating ventures to sustain impact after HopeChest’s financial support ends.

Raising Up
Leaders

Investing in youth and young adults through leadership development programs to shape tomorrow’s change-makers.

Transitioning Leadership

Equipping the Community Leadership Team—the group that will lead the community forward—with the tools and training they need.

Skills Training

Providing practical skills to empower individuals and families for the long-term.

Savings Groups

Establishing VSLAs (Village Savings and Loan Associations) and launching small businesses to promote financial independence.

Building Relationships

Building deep, meaningful connections that spark hope and drive change.

Why it Matters

Empowerment > Dependency: Graduation celebrates a shift from external support to internal leadership, creating meaningful, measurable impact that lasts.
Long-Term Impact: With ongoing community engagement, economic activities, and leadership development, hope doesn’t fade after graduation—it grows.
Multiply the Mission: When a CarePoint graduates, it frees up resources to walk alongside new communities, expanding the reach of transformation.

Fostering Independence Over Reliance: While our support helps build the foundation, graduation means the community is no longer reliant on external help. This is the ultimate goal—self-sufficiency. It’s not about maintaining an ongoing dependency; it’s about equipping communities with everything they need to thrive on their own.
HopeChest’s Purpose: To Work Ourselves Out of a Job: We don’t see our work as an endless commitment. Our purpose is to support communities until they are fully capable of leading their own initiatives. When a community graduates, it signifies that HopeChest’s mission has been accomplished—creating lasting, self-sustaining change without the need for ongoing support. This is how we measure success.

Why CarePoint Graduation is Essential

At HopeChest, we believe that true transformation happens when a community no longer relies on external support but instead thrives on its own. CarePoint graduation is that milestone that signifies a community’s self-sufficiency, marking the moment they are fully equipped to lead their own development.

Why Graduation Matters:

Fostering Independence Over Reliance: While our support helps build the foundation, graduation means the community is no longer reliant on external help. This is the ultimate goal—self-sufficiency. It’s not about maintaining an ongoing dependency; it’s about equipping communities with everything they need to thrive on their own.
Sustainable, Long-Term Impact: When a community graduates, it means that the impact of our work will continue for generations. We’ve built a model of sustainability that ensures the community can carry the work forward. Our involvement may end, but the positive changes will remain.
HopeChest’s Purpose: To Work Ourselves Out of a Job: We don’t see our work as an endless commitment. Our purpose is to support communities until they are fully capable of leading their own initiatives. When a community graduates, it signifies that HopeChest’s mission has been accomplished—creating lasting, self-sustaining change without the need for ongoing support. This is how we measure success.
Sustainability Means Real, Lasting Change: True sustainability is achieved when a community can solve problems from within—without the need for continual external intervention. Graduation is a sign that the community is leading its own growth and development, not dependent on HopeChest or any other organization.

Igniting Hope

Our role is simple: to ignite hope. We plant seeds of possibility, but it’s the community that nurtures them into change. The strength, resilience, and resources were always there—HopeChest simply came alongside, fostering the belief that transformation is not only possible, but within reach. What starts as a ignition of hope grows into a chain reaction—one that’s powered by the community’s own spirit and drive.

The Life Cycle of a CarePoint

Phase One:
Build Foundation
(3-5 Years)

What Happens

CarePoint is established in partnership with local leaders.
Programs address urgent needs and build trust.
Vision and community-led goals take shape.

Why it Matters

This phase sets the foundation for the CarePoint, ensuring that communities are equipped with the tools they need to succeed.

Phase Two:
Growth & Development (4-8 Years)

What Happens

Local leaders receive ongoing training.
Families grow in self-sufficiency and stability.
Revenue-generating initiatives emerge.
Programs deepen their impact

Why it Matters

During this phase, communities grow more independent, developing the skills, knowledge, and tools necessary to thrive without external assistance.

Phase Three:
Prepare for Independence
(3-4 Years)

What Happens

Families are more equipped to support themselves.
Community Leadership Team leads with long-term vision.
Economic activities are in place to help fund program operations.

Why it Matters

This Phase Ends in Graduation, when the CarePoint officially transitions into a CBO, owned and operated by local leaders!

This is What Success Looks Like

CarePoint Graduation redefines success—not by what HopeChest has done, but by what local leaders and families now have the power to do on their own. It’s what we mean when we say:

We work ourselves out of a job.

Because the job was never ours to keep.

Build Foundation

Growth & Development

Preparing for Independence

Graduation

You might be asking...

When will the first CarePoint graduations occur?

The first CarePoints are projected to graduate in 2026, beginning in Ethiopia and Uganda. Each one represents years of trust, investment, and collective vision.

How is success measured for a CarePoint?

HopeChest uses both organization-wide standards and country-specific indicators to track impact and readiness for graduation.

Graduation is guided by a set of clear metrics such as:

Leadership readiness
Financial independence indicators
Program continuity
Evidence of family resilience

Who takes over leadership once a CarePoint graduates?

As graduation approaches, leadership responsibilities begin shifting to the Community Leadership Team—a group of local leaders and community members equipped by HopeChest to manage CarePoint operations. They receive mentorship and participate in workshops to ensure a smooth and sustainable transition.

Community stakeholder meetings are an important part of the leadership shift. These town-hall-style gatherings bring together local leaders, parents, guardians, and government officials to talk about the CarePoint’s future. This helps everyone feel involved, encourages shared decision-making, and builds excitement for what’s ahead.

What does a CarePoint look like once it's graduated?

In the final phase before graduation, a CarePoint begins transitioning into a Community-Based Organization (CBO). This process takes place over the last two years and involves sharing leadership between Children’s HopeChest and the new CBO.

The Community Leadership Team, made up of local leaders, will choose a new name for the organization, marking the start of a new chapter and showing local ownership. By the time of graduation, the CBO is ready to continue the work on its own, meeting the needs of children and families in the community.

How will the CarePoint maintain revenue after HopeChest’s support ends?

After graduation, the Community-Based Organization (CBO) will define its own mission, vision, and focus areas based on the needs of the community. The programs and services it offers may look different from those provided during the partnership with HopeChest.

Revenue-generating activities—such as a computer lab, skills center, or other small businesses—will help fund the CBO’s ongoing operations. These businesses are designed to provide steady income, allowing the CBO to continue making a meaningful impact in the community.

What support does HopeChest provide after graduation?

HopeChest remains in the picture—not as the driver, but as a champion from the sidelines. We stay connected, offer encouragement, and celebrate continued wins.

What will a CarePoint graduation ceremony look like?

Graduation is marked by a ceremony of celebration and transition. Leadership is officially handed over to the local team, and the CarePoint begins operating as an independent CBO. The community gathers for a celebration—a shared meal, shared joy, and shared vision for what’s next.

The Future of Community-Led Transformation

What Graduation Really Means

How Communities Are Preparing for Graduation